For millions of Americans who can’t afford to buy, renting isn’t a choice. A @guardian investigation shows how private equity-backed corporate landlords exploit them, one invented fee at a time. Just look at what Greystar charges: • a penalty for “breaking the lease” by dying (charged to one grieving family) • DNA testing of your dog’s poop • $26.75/mo “boiler management fee” • $95/mo “lifestyle fee” (for a spin room and picnic tables) • $25/mo “valet trash,” a service that costs the landlord $8 • “final bill fee,” charged just to stop being their tenant • a fee to pay your rent online • “variable refrigerant flow fee” • “solar rebill fee” • “stormwater/drainage admin fee”